Before he was considered a CIA superagent, before he was thought of as a terrorists worst nightmare, and before he was both loathed and admired by the politicians on Capitol Hill, Mitch Rapp was a gifted college athlete without a care in the world . . . and then tragedy struck.

Kill Shot: An American Assassin Thriller

For months, Mitch Rapp has been steadily working his way through a list of men, bullet by bullet. With each kill, the tangled network of monsters responsible for the slaughter of 270 civilians becomes increasingly clear. He is given his next target: a plump Libyan diplomat who is prone to drink and is currently in Paris without a single bodyguard. Rapp finds him completely unprotected and asleep in his bed. With confidence in his well-honed skills and conviction of the man’s guilt, he easily sends a bullet into the man’s skull. But in the split second it takes the bullet to leave the silenced pistol, everything changes.

The Third Option: Mitch Rapp Series

CIA counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp falls prey to government forces with an agenda of their own after Dr. Irene Kennedy is named the successor to dying CIA Director Thomas Stansfield—a choice that enrages many inside the world’s most powerful intelligence agency. Her detractors will resort to extreme measures to prevent her from taking the reins—which makes Rapp an expendable asset. But Mitch Rapp is no one’s pawn, and he will stop at nothing to find out who has set him up.

Transfer of Power: Mitch Rapp Series

On a busy Washington morning, the stately calm of the White House is shattered in a deadly terrorist attack on the executive mansion. The president is evacuated to an underground bunker, but not before nearly one hundred hostages are taken. Mitch Rapp, the CIA’s top counterterrorism operative, is sent in to take control of the crisis and determines that the president is not as safe as Washington’s power elite had thought....

Separation of Power: Mitch Rapp Series

Newly appointed CIA director Dr. Irene Kennedy is the target of an inside plot to destroy her and prematurely end the American President's term. To make matters worse, Saddam Hussein is close to entering the nuclear arms race - something Israel has vowed to stop. With the haunting specter of World War III looming, the president calls on his secret weapon: top counter-terrorism operative Mitch Rapp. But with only two weeks to take out the nukes, Rapp is up against a ticking clock - and impossible odds.

Executive Power: Mitch Rapp Series

Returning from a covert mission, Mitch Rapp was publicly hailed by the president for his role in the fight against terrorism. After years of working in the shadows, Rapp was caught in the media spotlight - and marked for death by virtually every terrorist in the world. Now a CIA advisor, Rapp is ready to battle terror far from the front lines. But when a Navy SEAL team in the Philippines is ambushed, all evidence points to a leak within the U.S. State Department. And a greater threat lurks....

Memorial Day

It's just seven days before Memorial Day, and a spike in CIA intelligence has pointed to a major terrorist attack on the United States. Now it's up to counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp to pull out all the stops. Rapp immediately leaves for Afghanistan, where he leads a special forces unit on a daring commando raid across the border into a remote Pakistani village. Their target: an al-Qaeda stronghold. Rapp and his team soon discover plans for a catastrophic nuclear attack on Washington, DC.

Consent to Kill

For years, Mitch Rapp's bold actions have saved the lives of countless Americans. His battles for peace and freedom have made him a hero to many, and an enemy to countless more. In the tangled, duplicitous world of espionage, there are those, even among America's allies, who want to see Mitch Rapp eliminated. They have decided the time has come.

Act of Treason

It's a gorgeous autumn day in Georgetown. The Democratic candidates for president and vice-president of the United States are dutifully glad-handing voters and the media outside a grand estate where a national-security conference has just been held, bringing together the world's greatest minds to discuss the issues that are threatening the country. It's American politicking at its best. That's when all hell breaks loose.

Protect and Defend

The action begins in the heart of Iran, where billions of dollars are being spent on the development of a nuclear program. No longer willing to wait for the international community to stop its neighboring enemy, Israel launches a creative and daring operation that leaves a radioactive tomb in the middle of Iran's second largest city. An outraged Iranian government publicly blames both Israel and the United States and demands retribution.

The Last Man: A Novel

The four dead guards didn’t concern Mitch Rapp as much as the absence of the man they’d been paid to protect. Joe Rickman wasn’t just another foot soldier. For the last eight years Rickman had ran the CIA’s clandestine operations in Afghanistan. It was a murky job that involved working with virtually every disreputable figure in the Islamic Republic. More than a quarter billion dollars in cash had passed through Rickman’s hands during his tenure as the master of black ops and no one with a shred of sense wanted to know the details of how that money had been spent.

Pursuit of Honor: Mitch Rapp Series

The action begins six days after a series of explosions devastated Washington, D.C., targeting the National Counterterrorism Center and killing 185 people, including public officials and CIA employees. It was a bizarre act of extreme violence that called for extreme measures on the part of elite counterterrorism operative Mitch Rapp and his trusted team member, Mike Nash.

Extreme Measures: A Thriller

Mitch Rapp and his protege, Mike Nash, may have met their match. The CIA has detected and intercepted two terrorist cells, but a third is feared to be on the loose. Led by a dangerous mastermind obsessed with becoming the leader of al-Qaeda, this determined and terrifying group is about to descend on America.

Term Limits

In one bloody night, three of Washington’s most powerful politicians are executed with surgical precision. Their assassins then deliver a shocking ultimatum to the American government: set aside partisan politics and restore power to the people. No one, they warn, is out of their reach—not even the president. A joint FBI-CIA task force reveals the killers are elite military commandos, but no one knows exactly who they are or when they will strike next.

The Lions of Lucerne

On the snow-covered slopes of Utah, the unthinkable has just become a nightmarish reality: thirty Secret Service agents have been viciously executed and the vacationing president of the United States kidnapped by one of the most lethal terrorist organizations in the Middle East - the Fatah Revolutionary Council. But surviving agent and ex-Navy SEAL Scot Harvath doesn't believe the Fatah Revolutionary Council is responsible for the attack.

Code of Conduct: A Thriller

Hidden deep within one of the world’s most powerful organizations is a secret committee with a devastating agenda. Its members are afforded incredible protections—considered elites, untouchables. But when four seconds of video is captured halfway around the world and anonymously transmitted to DC, covert wheels are set in motion, and counterterrorism operative Scot Harvath is tapped to undertake the deadliest assignment of his career.

Last Man Standing

With vividly realized characters and a breathtaking pace, Last Man Standing is another spellbinding title from David Baldacci, best selling author of Wish You Well. When the FBI Hostage Rescue Team is ambushed, it is up to sole survivor Web London to find the killer.

Power Down: Dewey Andreas, Book 1

There was one factor that the terrorists didn’t take into account when they struck the Capitana oil platform off the coast of Colombia - slaughtering much of the crew and blowing up the platform - and that was the Capitana crew chief, Dewey Andreas. Dewey, former Army Ranger and Delta, survives the attack, rescuing as many of his men as possible. But the battle has just begun....

Tom Clancy Under Fire

On a routine intelligence gathering mission in Tehran, Jack Ryan, Jr., has lunch with his oldest friend, Seth Gregory: an engineer overseeing a transcontinental railway project. As they part, Seth slips Jack a key, along with a perplexing message.

Publisher's Summary

Before he was considered a CIA superagent, before he was thought of as a terrorist's worst nightmare, and before he was both loathed and admired by the politicians on Capitol Hill, Mitch Rapp was a gifted college athlete without a care in the world... and then tragedy struck.

Two decades of cutthroat, partisan politics has left the CIA and the country in an increasingly vulnerable position. Cold War veteran and CIA Operations Director Thomas Stansfield knows he must prepare his people for the next war. The rise of Islamic terrorism is coming, and it needs to be met abroad before it reaches America's shores. Stansfield directs his protégé, Irene Kennedy, and his old Cold War colleague, Stan Hurley, to form a new group of clandestine operatives who will work outside the normal chain of commandmen who do not exist.

What type of man is willing to kill for his country without putting on a uniform? Kennedy finds him in the wake of the Pan Am Lockerbie terrorist attack. Two-hundred and seventy souls perished that cold December night, and thousands of family and friends were left searching for comfort. Mitch Rapp was one of them, but he was not interested in comfort. He wanted retribution.

Six months of intense training has prepared him to bring the war to the enemy's doorstep, and he does so with brutal efficiency. Rapp starts in Istanbul, where he assassinates the Turkish arms dealer who sold the explosives used in the Pan Am attack. Rapp then moves onto Hamburg with his team and across Europe, leaving a trail of bodies. All roads lead to Beirut, though, and what Rapp doesnt know is that the enemy is aware of his existence and has prepared a trap. The hunter is about to become the hunted, and Rapp will need every ounce of skill and cunning if he is to survive the war-ravaged city and its various terrorist factions.

There's a reason Flynn is considered the king of the hill when it comes to this brand of thriller! He's has done it again with American Assassin. Although its been a long time coming, this latest Mitch Rapp adventure does not disappoint and has been worth the wait. It is as fresh as the first installment of the series, Transfer of Power, and continues to be up to date as today's news, as are all his novels. Brad Thor, Daniel Silva, Stephen Coonts, WEB Griffin and maybe even Ted Bell, with the amazing Sir Alexander Hawk are all paying homage to American Assassin this morning as being the new benchmark,
Thank you Mr.Fynn for always producing first rate material that is narrated by the master with a voice that make the words come alive, Mr George Guidall.
This Thriller is worth the credits or dollars and has left me waiting for the next Vince Flynn installment
Les C. Houston TX.

This book was acceptable, but nothing to rave about. It had the typical action of the other Mitch Rapp books, and the forced "love interest" of other Mitch Rapp books. It got me down the road and didn't put me to sleep, but certainly nothing to get worked up over.

Maybe I expected to much for my first Flynn novel evolving his popular character Mitch Rapp because as another reviewer pointed out I felt it lacked any real intrigue or suspense, I don't like to quote others but I believe that really sums up my first experience with a Vince Flynn novel. I found the first half which evolves Mitch Rapp's introduction and training into black operations enjoyable but his first adventure (mission) following said intro and training to be rather flat and mostly uneventful, again lacking suspense. Maybe it would have been better if I would have been like so many others and read previous books from the Mitch Rapp series but I know this is the prequel to the first book in the series so I started here, maybe I will enjoy the next book in the series more which is actually the first in the series, got to start somewhere I guess.

The story starts out fast, and has a quick pace throughout. Mitch Rapp fans, get ready to find out how it all started, who trained him, and nurtured his natural abilities. Some real insightful stuff for Rapp fans everywhere. Worst thing about it is, now I am going to have to wait another year to get my next fix! Great read, well worth the listen! If you never listened to or read a Vince Flynn novel, this is a great place to start. It will get you down the path and should have been the book he started with, but having followed the Mitch Rapp career, it makes this listen all the sweeter! Get it you won't be disappointed!

From the moment I heard Vince's customary first interview with Joe Soucheray on Garage Logic last week, I had a feeling this would be an interesting view of the early life of Mitch Rapp. I was NOT disappointed. American Assassin is fantastic! Great insights into the past of some of the key characters in the Rapp series. A gripping storyline that was intense!!! If you are already a Flynn fan, you will love this book. If you are new to Flynn's work... give it a shot, BUT be prepared for some intense action! ...Hopefully none of you ever have to play "20 questions" in the Middle East.

As I sit here in Middle America, I am hopeful that there are "real life" Rapp's and Hurley's in the field with Kennedy's and Stansfield's supporting them stateside.

George Guidall does a great job bringing Flynn's story to life! My only complaint is related to production issues of the audiobook. First version of Part 1 did not play on iPod Touch (had to download the high quality version to listen). Chapter breaks were too long and were not synchronized with the book. Made it slightly inconvenient to navigate, but quality of the story FAR outweighed any production concerns.

While better than the last two Rapp novels, this 'origin issue' could have been a lot better. It seems like Flynn has run out of ideas for Rapp and is just going through the numbers now with this series. This truly could have been much better in the character development behind the American Assassin. Instead, we get a Superman story. For example, when Rapp, immediately after being recruited by Kennedy arrives at a spy training camp in Virginia, there is nothing for him to learn. Rapp, after having done nothing more than 'taken a few months of courses at a strip mall dojo' manages to immediately and embarrassingly beat his instructor in hand to hand combat, a man who's been training Special Forces soldiers day in and out for years who also has decades of fighting experience. The rest of the time at Spy camp is spent exercising. We don't get one shred of insight as to how Rapp learns his spycraft or his great 'dirty tricks' he uses on the terrorists in the earlier novels. It only takes about 5 minutes on the gun range for the 'never been taught to shoot' Rapp to become an expert and the best shot in the service. The latter portion of the novel is Rapp's first mission in Beirut and you can already see the ending many chapters before it arrives. There just wasn't much suspense or surprises that could have been done with a little more effort from Vince Flynn. And it's a shame because I own nearly all of his books except for the last few and I know he has the talent in him.

Late in the book, my favorite character Stan Hurley finds himself in a difficult situation. What he does during this time made me laugh so hard that tears were rolling down my face (at least twice). I have been listening to the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child and although I really like the stories, I haven't laughed at anything like this in the first nine books. George Guidall does a fantastic job narrating the story and his character voices coupled with the author's character descriptions are so vivid that your mind will automatically create a real-life image of each character. Fantastic work.

With this first (of hopefully many) Mitch Rapp back story, Flynn continues to deliver. I have enjoyed several of his books in paper, but narrator George Guidall makes them come alive. Now if only we can get these read unabridged by Guidall:
• Memorial Day
• Separation of Power
• Term Limits
• The Third Option
• Transfer of Power

Flynn hits a home run again! The only thing wrong with the experience of hearing Guidall bring Rapp to life as only he can is that it's just like dining out on a good steak...it's so delicious that you know you should take your time and savor every minute, but just can't help yourself when you devour it like a maniac and suddenly it's over before you know it. Pure genius to take us back to the beginning, Vince. Hold on tight, Rapp fans. Another great kick in the teeth to the PC crowd.

I am a Baldacci fan and have become used to his style of drama. This story was well paced with a good plot some twists. Bad language a little much but mostly in context, so did not distract from story. I have come to like the main character so will listen to another.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Churchill1940

ILFORD, United Kingdom

3/4/15

Overall

Performance

Story

"Vince Flynn introduces Mitch Rapp a masterpiece!"

I have become a Vince Flynn addict. He is masterful writer keeping your pulse racing until a great climax as you will find.George Guidall one of Audible best narrator's brings forth the excitement of Flynn's writing. His character changes, just remarkable. 5* should be used as a narrator more often. Bar-Humbug to anyone's else's opinion!

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

MR

10/6/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"Dreadful Narration"

What disappointed you about American Assassin?

This narrator completely spoiled what could have been a good book. He emphasised the wrong words in sentences, took breaths in the middle of sentences and didn't even bother to try different voices for the characters. Overall he was appalling.

Would you recommend American Assassin to your friends? Why or why not?

I would recommend the paper book but not this audiobook.

What didn’t you like about George Guidall’s performance?

Everything. See above for the worst points but he also sounded very old.

You didn’t love this book--but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It was difficult to ascertain but underneath the narration it could possibly be a good book.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

Kirsteen

Tain, United Kingdom

7/3/13

Overall

Performance

Story

"Excellent, a Gripping Story"

If you could sum up American Assassin in three words, what would they be?

Exciting, Detailed, Spirited

Which character – as performed by George Guidall – was your favourite?

Mitch Rapp

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I loved it and kept switching it back on at every opportunity. I found the story gripping and really exciting, I got very nervous when it came to scenes of torture, as I can't bare to know the details of such things and if I was watching a movie or reading the book I would skip past any gory bits, but there is no such luxury when listening to audio. Thankfully the torture scenes were kept to a minimum and the details not too gory.

0 of 0 people found this review helpful

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